Heraklion Airport (HER)

Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” (HER) is the main way into Crete and the second busiest airport in Greece after Athens: 10,033,151 passengers passed through it in 2025, its first year above ten million. It sits about 5 km east of Heraklion city centre, handles every flight through a single terminal, and connects the island to more than 120 destinations in roughly 30 countries. This page is an independent guide to it, written for passengers rather than by the airport.

Heraklion Airport at a glance

• Codes: HER (IATA) and LGIR (ICAO). The full name honours the Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis.
• Location: about 5 km east of the city centre, on the coast road, close enough that a taxi takes minutes rather than a half hour.
• Terminals: one, shared by domestic and international flights, so there is no transfer between buildings to plan for.
• Inside: eleven boarding gates, nine of them on the main level and two on the floor above.
• Traffic: 10,033,151 passengers in 2025, after 9,384,233 in 2024 and 8,723,031 in 2023.
• Operator: the Greek state, through HASP. Heraklion is not part of the Fraport Greece concession that runs 14 other Greek airports, Chania included, which is a frequent source of confusion.

A second airport, Kastelli, is expected to open inland later this decade and will eventually replace this one. Until it does, everything below applies.

Getting from the airport into Heraklion and the resorts

The terminal is close to the city, so the choice is about luggage and timing rather than distance. All three options leave from the same forecourt, a couple of minutes from the arrivals doors.

• City bus: €1.30 if you buy the ticket in advance, €2.30 from the driver. Look for the direction board reading ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΟ or IRAKLIO rather than a route number, because the operator does not publish one for the airport. Details on the bus page.
• Taxi: about €19 by day and €22 at night into the centre, from a rank directly outside arrivals, with card payment mandatory in Greek taxis since January 2024. Longer runs to the resorts are quoted at fixed prices by operators. See taxis.
• Car hire and transfers: desks are in the arrivals hall, and the shuttle and transfer options cover the eastern resorts.

If you are only going to the city centre, the route into town compares all of it end to end. The transport hub covers destinations further out, and parking has the rates if you are being collected: the first 15 to 20 minutes are free, and the car park is a two to three minute walk from the doors.

How early to arrive for a flight

Two hours before a Schengen departure, three hours before a non-Schengen one, and another 30 to 60 minutes on top in July and August. Airport bag drop commonly closes around 45 minutes before departure on short-haul routes, earlier than online check-in, so the counter deadline is the one to plan around.

The extra hour on non-Schengen flights is not padding: since 2026 travellers from outside the EU are registered in the Entry/Exit System at the desk, with fingerprints and a facial image, which has made passport control slower at peak times. The timing guide works backwards from the flight to the moment you leave your hotel, which is the number people actually get wrong.

What is inside the terminal

The building is compact, which keeps walking distances short even at the August peak. Landside there are check-in desks, a cafe and a few shops. Airside you will find duty free, cafes and restaurants, three lounges and the smoking area.

Practical things worth knowing before you arrive: Wi-Fi is available in the terminal, though the airport does not publish its conditions, so treat any promise of unlimited free access with caution. There is luggage storage if you have a long gap, one mother and baby room in the departures area on the first floor, and changing tables inside the main toilets. Special assistance is free under EU rules and should be booked through your airline, ideally at least 48 hours before the flight.

When to fly, and what the season changes

Crete is a summer destination and the airport reflects that completely. International routes build through spring, peak in July and August, and thin out for winter, when domestic services to Athens carry the schedule. In practice that means three different airports in one: a quiet building in January, a busy one in May, and a full one in August, when queues at check-in and security are at their longest and the advice to add an hour stops being optional.

Delays follow the same curve. An aircraft may fly four or more legs in a day through Crete in season, so a morning delay in northern Europe tends to reach Heraklion by the evening. The live flight board shows the current window with statuses, and explains what each one means.

Heraklion or Chania: which Crete airport

Crete has two airports worth flying into and the right answer is simply whichever is closer to where you are sleeping. Heraklion sits in the centre of the north coast and is the gateway for Knossos, Hersonissos, Malia, Agios Nikolaos and the east. Chania (CHQ) sits 150 km west and serves the western third of the island, including the Samaria gorge and Elafonisi.

Size is the other difference: Heraklion handled 10,033,151 passengers in 2025 against 3,952,126 through Chania in 2024, which is why Heraklion has more airlines, more destinations and a longer operating season. Getting the choice wrong can add two hours of driving to the start of a holiday, so it is worth five minutes: the airport comparison lays out drive times and route networks.

Who flies here

Aegean Airlines is the largest operator, alongside its subsidiary Olympic Air on domestic routes. The last published market shares are from 2022, when it held roughly 40% of traffic and Ryanair and easyJet together about 30%; no later figures have been released. On summer 2026 route counts Aegean still leads, followed by Corendon, easyJet, Jet2 and Volotea. Sky Express flies domestic and regional routes, and Bluebird Airways is based at Heraklion itself. In season the schedule fills with charter and leisure carriers including TUI, Jet2, Condor, Eurowings and Wizz Air. The airlines page covers who flies where, and departures and arrivals show today's movements.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Heraklion Airport?
About 5 km east of Heraklion city centre on the north coast of Crete, on the coast road towards the eastern resorts. Its codes are HER and LGIR.

How do I get from Heraklion Airport to the city centre?
By city bus for €1.30 bought in advance or €2.30 from the driver, or by taxi for about €19 by day and €22 at night. Both leave from directly outside the arrivals hall, and the trip is short because the airport is only 5 km out.

How many terminals does Heraklion Airport have?
One. All flights, domestic and international, use the same building, and there is no transfer between terminals.

How busy is Heraklion Airport?
It handled 10,033,151 passengers in 2025, its first year above ten million, which makes it the second busiest in Greece after Athens. Traffic is heavily seasonal, concentrated between May and October.

How early should I get to the airport?
Two hours before a Schengen flight and three before a non-Schengen one, plus 30 to 60 minutes in July and August. Bag drop often closes around 45 minutes before departure.

Should I fly into Heraklion or Chania?
Whichever is closer to your accommodation. Heraklion serves the centre and east of Crete, Chania the west, and they are 150 km apart, which is roughly two hours of driving.

Does Fraport run Heraklion Airport?
No. Heraklion is a state airport operated by HASP. The Fraport Greece concession covers 14 other Greek airports, among them Chania on the same island, which is where the confusion comes from.

Is this the official Heraklion Airport website?
No. This is an independent guide for passengers, with no affiliation to the airport or its operator. For binding information such as your flight status or a booking, use your airline.